


Beginning of Anguish

by Ilya_Boltagon, squipy_witch



Series: Maximoff Chronicles [1]
Category: X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men Evolution
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Both the twins are brown in this not white :), Gen, Kidnapping, Light Angst, Magda is mentioned but she doesn't actually appear in the story, Past Erik Lehnsherr/Magda, Romani Pietro Maximoff, Romani Wanda Maximoff, This is the prequel to another story btw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27476587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilya_Boltagon/pseuds/Ilya_Boltagon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/squipy_witch/pseuds/squipy_witch
Summary: Django Maximoff has been struggling ever since the death of his sister. Left to care for and raise her twin children as he promised Magda on her deathbed, he was prepared to live a simple life. When Wanda started moving things with her mind before she left diapers, Django simply tried to make her life as comfortable as it could be with these newfound gifts.Well, that was before their biological father decided to reappear in Django's life without any warning. It could have been fine-- Had Erik Lehnsherr even known he had children at all.
Relationships: Django Maximoff & Pietro Maximoff, Django Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff & Pietro Maximoff
Series: Maximoff Chronicles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1919743
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. The Past

**Author's Note:**

> Hello :D First story posted to this fandom and it's a prequel to another story here: The Witch's Vindication by Ilya_Boltagon, who helped while this was being written. This is basically explaining how Wanda and Pietro got into Erik Lehnsherr's care, while including the background that everyone seems to forget that they come from :) Also, warning, if you like Erik, you probably won't like him in this story.

" _Tata!_ " A little voice cried from beside the caravan.

Django dropped his tools and carving, springing to his feet instantly, quickly leaving the caravan with a furrow between his brows. The twins rarely ever disturbed him while he worked unless they were hungry or they'd ruined their clothes playing and needed fresh ones, so he knew something was wrong. 

When he rounded the corner, his eyes grew wide when he saw Wanda standing over her brother, hands smoking. 

"Pietro!" Django rushed over, cradling the small boy in his arms when he reached them. Pietro had been on the ground, holding his knee to his chest as he sobbed, but now his little arms were wrapped tight around his neck. Carefully, Django eased him back so he could properly look at the injury. The skin was bright red and there was a burnt mark that had small tendrils of smoke rising from it. Pietro whimpered as he prodded at the skin, wondering if he could treat this himself or go to a physician to look at it. However, a little sob from behind him reminded Django that they were not alone.

Wanda was shaking, tears pouring down her face. The poor girl was drained of all color, staring down at Pietro with utter fear in her eyes. She looked at Django when she realized he was staring at her, lip quivering.

" _I didn't mean it, Tata! H-He wouldn't let me win, a-a-and… I got mad! Brother, I'm sorry!_ " She sobbed, backing away from them.

Django could feel his heart break. The poor girl had yet to even turn four and she was already dealing with these strange abilities. He didn't understand what exactly his niece could do, not in the slightest, but he knows that it was dangerous. Carefully, he released Pietro and slowly approached Wanda, hands held towards her. 

_"It's fine, my dear. I know you didn't, I need to see if you hurt yourself too._ " He told her. 

He watched as her lip quivered. " _I'm okay…_ " She looked down at her small hands. " _My hands glew, Tata._ " She admitted, unaware of panic that shot through him. Quickly, he took her hands in his, looking over for any signs of injury.

" _Did it hurt?_ "

" _No! I breathed slow like you said, and it went away. Pietro got hurt though…_ "

Django smoothed down her wild hair. " _Don't worry, your brother will be fine. It was just an accident_." He explained as the fear from earlier began to disappear from her face. She snuggled against him, glancing behind them at Pietro, who had gotten to his feet and held Django's arm. 

" _I_ _'m sorry, Pie._ " She said.

Pietro pouted, looking down at the ground. " _It's okay_." He told her, shyly offering his hand for her to take. Wanda took it happily, pulling him closer so she could hug him. However, Pietro stared up at Django with a blatantly curious expression.

" _Tata, why can't I do that? I wanna be glowy_."

Django didn't exactly know how to answer that. As much as he wanted to explain to his nephew why his sister could do what she could, he couldn't. His sister had tried to pass on what she knew about mutants to him before her death, but she was half-delirious from her illness most of the time. Instead, he moved to sit on the ground, even if it got his trousers dirty, and settled both twins on a knee. 

" _That's up to your body, my boy. Your sister's decided that her special gift needed to show up early, something that's not common. One day, your gift will show up as hers did_." He explained, wondering just how true these words would be. The only thing he really understood from Magda was that mutations usually triggered during pubescent years, around eleven or twelve. Wanda, he gathered, was one of the exceptions to this.

Pietro lit up at that idea, a cute smile forming on his face. " _I want to shoot things from my hands too! Me and Wanda can match then!_ " 

" _I don't think it works like that, Pie_." Django said, but the boy either didn't hear it or ignored him, probably daydreaming about having powers. 

" _Do you have magic, Tata_?" Wanda asked with an innocent look, her eyes wide. Django brushed a lock of her hair away, smiling softly.

" _No, darling, I don't. But there are others with powers like you._ " 

" _Have you met any?_ " Pietro questioned.

" _Well… One, but I haven't seen them in a long time_." Django told him, hoping they wouldn't press any further. He didn't feel like bringing up those memories, and they simply wouldn't understand. Thankfully he was correct, the two of them now squirming in his lap before he released them, watching as they scurried into the woods. Django smiled before he pushed himself off the ground, brushing any stray dirt off his trousers before heading back to the caravan. He picked up his carving again, intending on finishing this to add to the rest he was going to sell when someone roughly knocked on the wall. 

He glanced up, seeing one of the younger girls standing in the entrance. She looked annoyed almost, and Django feared it had something to do with the twins. The others always accused them of something they hadn't done, and Django was beginning to get tired of it. 

" _Did your parents need something?_ " He asked, but the girl shook her head. 

" _A gadje walked into the settlement a few minutes ago. He refuses to talk to any of the elders, and he said he'd only speak to you_." She explained. 

Django paused, looking at the girl curiously. " _Did he say what for?"_

She nodded. " _He asked about Magda. He wouldn't say anything else_."

There was only one person that would come to their settlement for that. Django hadn't seen Erik Lensherr in years, but he was the only person that would be asking for his sister. He didn't want to speak with the man for what he did, but he knew there would be trouble if he ignored Erik. 

Django sighed, glancing down at his lap before he looked back at the girl.

" _May you bring him here, Eldra?_ " He asked her. 

The girl frowned at him but nevertheless nodded, disappearing from the doorway. Django stared at where she had stood for several seconds, wondering what Erik would even be here for. He turned back to his carving, something that always helped to clear his mind. He had too many thoughts right now. There was no way for Erik to know, but what if he had somehow learned about the twins? What if he was here for them? Before Magda had passed, she made him promise that he'd _never_ allow Erik to know of their existence. If he came to reclaim them as his own…

Django shook his head, knowing that such thoughts weren't good for him. As he whittled at what would be the head of a bull, someone knocked at the doorway. It had to have been Eldra, but when he turned around, she was gone and the only person who stood there...

The last time he had seen Erik was almost seven years ago. 

The man was just as intimidating as he was back then, a harsh frown on his blank face and piercing eyes that constantly judged you. Erik had not changed much physically, Django realized, but something was different. The other man just looked colder. He never looked welcoming from the start, but now it felt as if he'd be impossible to approach.

He set the wooden figure he had been carving down, dusting some of the dust off of his trousers, and stood. Erik watched him in silence from the entrance of the caravan, tall and imposing with his dark coat and hat.

"Erik," Django said with forced politeness. "What brings you here?" 

The other man didn't reply at first, eyes simply drifting around the room. Unease settled in Django's stomach, but he kept any comments to himself. Magda had warned him that Erik relied on fear and used it to his advantage. However, he looked back at him after several moments.

"I had heard of Magda's… passing." Erik stated, hesitating at the last word.

Django stopped himself from scoffing. He had always been hesitant about their relationship from the start. Magda was too carefree with her lovers, always managing to go after the men that would never treat her right. When she had brought Erik home for the first time, Django could tell there was something different about him from the rest. It wasn't that he was a mutant—Magda had told them weeks beforehand that he could move metal—or that he had suffered under the Nazis in Germany. It was how detached he was.

Django had only realized it when Magda came running home with fear in her eyes and a hand cradling her stomach; Erik felt nothing. There was no emotion in someone like him. No remorse, no compassion. Nothing. He didn't care what happened to others as long as he got what he wanted. Their parents had unfortunately succumbed to their illnesses years ago, shortly before Magda came home. They had never gotten to know that the man they allowed to 'marry' their daughter (though Magda had later told Django that no marriage actually took place) was a twisted being, that truly never loved her as they thought.

Yet…

Erik looked distraught.

Django recalled Erik always looking well put-together and composed during their few interactions. He dressed to be given respect and authority. Now, he just looked like a man who didn't know what to do with himself. 

"Why did you come here to tell me this?" Django snapped. He didn't want to begin yelling already, but his usual patience was gone. Just outside behind the caravan, in the woods, were the reasons why Magda ran from this man. His sister _made_ him promise to keep them away from Erik, to _never_ let him know of their existence. 

"The love of my life is dead, Django. I was hoping that it wasn't true, but…" Erik replied in a hushed tone. 

"And why does that matter to you? You drove her away!" Django harshly pointed out, unable to hold his tongue. Erik's eyes flashed at the comment and Django felt his stomach jump from fear.

Despite all, Erik held power that Django did not. No one in the settlement could handle him. 

"I'm sorry. My sister's death has affected me more than I thought it would." He apologised.

Erik looked down, a shadow falling across his face. Django could barely make out the expression the other man was making, but his eyes seemed to hold a shine. 

"The loss of a relative always strikes the hardest." He said, voice thick enough with emotion that Django felt his heartache. He knew that Erik had lost his family from what Magda had told them, the only person who probably knew how he was feeling. Django couldn't imagine what it was like to lose your lover, but Erik's pain seemed genuine. He didn't understand how this was the monster that Magda told him about during her final moments. This was just another broken man.

Django glanced at the carving, thinking for several moments as a silence blanketed them. He had promised Magda that Erik would never know of the twins, but she had been in a great deal of pain, delirious and feverish from her sickness. He knew Erik wasn't emotional, and he never got along with the man, but to deprive him of his own family? His conscience knew it wasn't right and he would want to know if he were Erik. How he was going to tell the other man he had yet to figure out; telling someone that they had _children_ they didn't know about wasn't something his father ever taught him.

However, before he could even think of how to ease the conversation to the children, he could hear a patter of tiny footsteps from outside the caravan. The door wildly swung open and Django already knew who it was. Neither of the twins could open the door yet, too small to reach the handle, so Wanda had taken to using her gift to let them inside. 

" _Tata! We're hungry!_ " The little girl yelled, pulling her brother along by the hand. She didn't even seem to notice the other man in the room, so focused on Django that she walked right past him. 

He quickly glanced at Erik, not liking the look he was giving the two children. His expression was blank, but something about his eyes made Django feel uncomfortable. There was such an intense look in his eye that Django almost felt like it was a death sentence the moment he knelt down to their level.

 _"It's barely into the afternoon. How are you still hungry after breakfast?_ " Django asked, poking Wanda's stomach. She giggled, holding her free arm in front of it.

" _We've been playing!_ " She huffed, almost as if it was that obvious. He risked a glance and noticed Erik was still watching the children with close scrutiny. Pietro seemed to have realized this too, choosing to let go of his sister's hand in favor of hiding his face in Django's trouser leg. He scooped up the little boy, holding him tight as he grabbed Wanda, balancing them on his hips.

" _Children, I want you to meet someone_." Django said to them, motioning to Erik. The man could guess Django was talking about him the moment Wanda finally paid attention to him, nose scrunched up as she looked him over.

" _Tata, who's that?_ " Pietro asked quietly, hands tightly gripping at his shirt.

" _He looks like Pietro!_ " Wanda exclaimed, pointing at Erik's hair; Django forgot how old the man truly was compared to him, his hair already white.

"I take it that these are your children, yes?" Erik questioned without genuine interest. This was more a conversation piece than anything to him. Django paused, considering his options before he decided to bite the bullet. 

"No. They are Magda's children." 

Erik froze, still as a statue before he looked at Django with genuine shock. 

"Magda's…?" 

"She never got with another man when she left you. They're yours, through and through." Django explained. If Erik truly knew his sister, then he would know that he was telling the truth. As much as she hated the man, Magda would have never cheated during their relationship and she would have never dated afterward.

Wanda squirmed in his hold. " _Tata, what is he saying? I don't understand._ " 

"What… What are their names?" 

Django motioned with his head. "This is Wanda and this is Pietro." 

"Are they twins?" Erik asked. Django was somewhat surprised the man could tell. The others in the settlement had a difficult time even believing they were even related, shocked by Pietro's white hair and lighter skin. A few women were present during the birth and they still couldn't believe it.

Django nodded. "Wanda is older by two minutes." 

Erik seemed to reach out but quickly caught himself before he could actually move any closer. Django didn't understand what the man was going through, and he doesn't think he ever will. He had assumed the role of the twin's father only a month or so after Magda passed. Someone had to. He also wasn't going to seek out their biological father, who'd undoubtedly cast them aside just like anyone else. The others in the camp would comfort Django all they could, but not once did they do that for the twins. He sat the twins down at the table, promising to get them a snack before he turned to Erik and finally approached the man for the first time.

"You may not be welcomed here, and I never want to see your face here again, but I am not cruel enough to deny a man his children," Django whispered even though the children could not understand. "You may stay here for a week. I don't care if you leave earlier than that or what you do at that time. I'm giving you this opportunity to get to know your children." 

Erik's eyes met his and for a moment, the human thought he understood what was happening behind that carefully crafted mask. 

"...Thank you." Erik finally uttered. 

"Do not thank me for basic decency." 

"Still. To be in your shoes at this moment is unthinkable. I don't know whether or not I would have told you the truth if I had been in your position." 

Django didn't reply, merely turning around to satiate his hungry twins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tata means father/dad in Romani :)! Anything said by the characters in italics is Romani.


	2. The Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Is Pietro going to show up again?" I ask, scanning each and every line for the young boy, hoping for another appearance.
> 
> "Hm... No." I reply, despite being the writer.

Having someone who broke the heart of your sister stay with you was an odd experience. The rest of that day had gone by rather slowly and awkwardly. Django didn't know what to say to Erik and the man didn't push for many answers to anything. The only things he had asked that the first day was when the twins were born and whether or not they were fussy or quiet babies.

Django tried to answer as truthfully as he could. He knew that he couldn't lie to save his life, but something in his gut told him to keep this information to himself. Erik had yet to truly pose any threat, but something within Django still couldn't trust him.

He had noticed that Erik never asked any questions while the twins were actually in the room. He'd stare silently at them, yes, but he never made an attempt to ask something. Django had only caught on by the third day that Erik would ask something the moment they were out the door. It was strange, but Django never questioned it. He too would feel weird asking about someone in a language they didn't speak while in their presence.

However, the twins allowed him to escape the newfound atmosphere of the caravan. He didn't have to worry about Erik asking a question that he didn't need to overthink. What if he revealed something too personal? Something too vague that prompted Erik to question more? Django honestly had no idea whether or not to bring up Wanda's ability with the man. It would definitely be good for the girl to learn from someone who went through the same thing, but who knows how Erik would react to his daughter being a mutant. What if he expected Pietro to be the same and he wasn't? 

There were too many thoughts for Django to handle, so the man did what he did best. He got out his supplies and grabbed an untouched chunk of wood. He didn't know what exactly he wanted it to be, but he needed to distract himself. Erik had mentioned going out to explore the nearby town, so the human reasoned he'd be gone for an hour or so. That would be enough time to organize his thoughts and go over what he would say to a specific question.

How did he want to approach this? 

Erik was a smart man. He would catch on fairly quickly if the discussion of mutations was ever brought up. Django didn't want to tell him yet of his daughter's mutation, but Wanda still had yet to grasp how to use her power when she truly needed it. However, they were bridging onto the fifth day of Erik's stay and Wanda had yet to even use her gift. Django thought that it may have been due to Erik's presence, but perhaps she figured out not to use her gift so wildly? Django scratched away where he wanted the head of the figure to be, the shavings of wood slowly piling on his desk. He didn't know why she would, as she never had an issue with displaying it around others. Whatever the cause may be, he was glad for it. 

At the moment, the twins were playing outside again. It was all they had been doing that week. He thought it was strange, but he guessed that they didn't want to be in Erik's presence either. Especially Pietro. The boy would always hide behind Django or his sister when he was around the man. Wanda didn't seem to care much about Erik, however. She has stated that she thought Erik was ugly before during breakfast, right to his face, and Django had never been more glad in his life that Erik spoke very little Romani.

As far as the twins knew, Erik was simply a friend of their deceased aunt. 

He didn't know how to explain it to the twins since they've been under the impression that Django himself was their father. He had already planned out how he would tell them when they were old enough, but now that was all down the drain. He never thought that Erik would show up in their lives, and he still doesn't know if Erik planned on staying. Django was just tired of being unsure of everything. He hated all of this, hated being unsure of what to say to the other man or to the twins. He realized as he carved the hair of the wooden figurine that he was simply tired of Erik. He wanted the other man gone. Erik had ruined everything. He wanted to leave this settlement behind and find somewhere calm and quiet for his children. 

Django didn't realize how long he had spaced out until he heard the caravan's door open. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus, and glanced at the door, realizing it was Erik. The man was holding a bag in his hand but Django couldn't make out what was in it. He had given the man some money in case he found something he wanted while in town but he didn't think Erik would actually use any of it.

"Welcome back." Django greeted, placing the carving down. Erik silently dipped his head in response, carefully putting the bag down before removing his shoes. "Did you enjoy the town?" 

"It was… Dreary." Erik replied, taking off his coat. Django knew what he meant. The nearby town was lively during the warmer months, but the minute the weather turned cold you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone out and about.

"It happens. People tend to stay indoors when it gets colder." Django explained. 

The other man didn't comment any further and simply picked his bag up before disappearing into the room that Django had allowed him to use. It was actually his, but Django wasn't comfortable with letting Erik sleep in the room that used to belong to Magda. He brushed off any wood shavings that stuck to his clothes and stood, stretching out his legs. Erik didn't take long to put whatever he bought away as he was already coming back into the living room the time Django cleaned up his work area.

"I heard something from one of the women working in the shops." He suddenly spoke, cold eyes staring at Django carefully. 

He paused, wondering what the look was for. Was he supposed to tell Erik that these people were gossips? He didn't think the man would be that offended.

"That's… normal? I would have—"

"A pair of twins marked by the Devil, cursing the poor Maximoff name." 

A chill ran down his spine. Django didn't know what to say to him, simply staring at Erik with a blank look. He should have known that people were still spreading rumors about the twins. Ever since they were born, the twins suffered from judgment. From Pietro's shock of pale blond hair and blue eyes to the strange aura that surrounded Wanda. Magda would ignore such gossip if she ever heard any, but Django knew they got to his sister during her final moments. She never confided in him about it but the wary looks she’d give the twins when she thought he wasn’t looking said it all. 

“What mark do they mean?” Erik questioned, but Django could tell from his tone that it wasn’t. It was a demand. 

“I…” 

The man stepped closer to him. Django unconsciously moved backward, foot knocking against the chair. His mistake was looking down, making sure he wouldn’t fall, when he felt hands grab his shirt. He gasped when he looked up and noticed how close Erik was, face full of nothing but cold anger. 

“I’m not asking again, Django.”

“Let me go and I’ll-”

“ _What are you doing to Tata?_ ” A small voice demanded.

Django gasped as he peered over Erik’s shoulder, eyes widening at the sight of Wanda in the doorway. Why wasn’t she playing with Pietro? It wasn’t time for them to eat, and they never came into the caravan when Erik was there. The man released Django, turning to face the young girl. 

“Excuse me?” Erik said like he was genuinely offended she even spoke to him. 

As much as he wanted to stand up to Erik, Django needed to stop this. Erik had no idea what could happen when Wanda got mad and had never suffered through one of her power-filled tantrums. He needed to get control over this situation before it turned even worse. 

“ _Wanda, please, go back outside._ ” He pleaded, hoping the girl would understand that this was something she couldn't involve herself in. However, his little girl was stubborn and simply stomped her foot against the ground.

" _No! Not until he says what he was doing!_ " She shouted as she took a step forward. For someone so small, it was... odd, it felt like an oppressive weight suddenly came down upon them. 

" _Wanda! Stop it, this instant!_ " He scolded, hoping that Erik would just keep his mouth shut. 

Unfortunately, it seemed that the other man had no idea what staying out of things meant and moved towards the girl, presumably to discipline her. Django moved to grab him, to pull him back or something, but he had been too late. Suddenly, Erik was sent flying across the room and landed down the hallway, hitting the ground with a harsh thud. Thankfully none of the furniture went with him, but Django could see their table beginning to shake along with some pictures on the wall. He ran over to the girl, not even bothering to see if Erik was alright, and wrapped his arms around her in an effort to calm her. She tried pushing him away but he held on tight. She may not have the greatest control over her gifts, but Django needed her to reign them in before anyone else got hurt. 

Django began to rub her back, something that always helped when she was a baby and wouldn’t stop crying. He glanced down the hallway and saw Erik struggling to sit up, grunting quietly as he pushed himself to his elbows. There was an odd look in the older man's eyes as he stared at Wanda, ignoring Django completely. If anything, his expression seemed almost… awed?

"What… What was that?" Erik asked.

What could he do? He couldn't lie to Erik but he didn't want to even tell him. It didn't take him long to figure out what to do, but he still sighed. There was no hiding what that was. Erik was not stupid and understood far more about mutations than he ever would. Even if Django could somehow lie about this, Erik would figure out at some point and there would be hell when he did. He swallowed his pride and began to talk.

"Wanda has… gifts." He explained slowly. "She's had them for most of her life.

"Gifts?" Erik's eyes narrowed, focused on Django now. It was pathetic how he felt like prey in his own home.

"They're gifts to me, but mutations to others."

"My daughter's mutant abilities have already manifested? So young?" He inquired. Django despised how easily it rolled off Erik's tongue to call Wanda his daughter when he barely interacted with her or Pietro this past week. It may have been the biological truth, but Django raised them, not Erik! He knew, deep in his heart, that if Wanda had not come in, Erik would have never cared. Still, he forced himself to nod.

"They did, although, I'm unsure why. Mag—I mean, I was told that these abilities emerged during adolescence."

It was obvious that they both knew who he was talking about. Erik looked down, pain written in his eyes from either being flung or remembering the past, but began to talk.

"It's incredibly rare but… Mutant powers can trigger when they're just children. It's unknown why, but it does." Erik said and pushed himself to his knees, using the wall to shakily stand. "But I have never seen a mutation that is defined as hers at this age before…" 

" _Tata, what is he saying?_ " Wanda questioned while tugging on Django's shirt, eyes never leaving the other man.

" _He's… He's asking about your gifts, my dear._ " 

"And her brother? Does he share similar mutations?" Erik interrupted.

Django shook his head. "Pietro… I'm unsure if he is like her or not."

He could see disapproval in Erik's eyes but the other man simply nodded. "It is too early to notice any signs of mutations in most mutant children, yes." His attention turned back to the young girl. "What exactly can she do?"

"She can move things with her mind. She's also burnt her brother before, without fire. I'm not exactly sure what all she can do." Django explained.

Wanda tugged on his shirt again. " _Tata, I don't like him. Tell him to leave._ " She told him with a stubborn look. It was ironic how confident she was in Erik's presence when Django could barely find it in him to even look at him. 

" _Go back outside, my dear, and play with your brother. I'll handle him, okay?_ " He leaned down and whispered, making sure the girl knew what to do. He was prepared for when she opened her mouth to complain, simply shaking his head before pointing towards the door. Wanda pouted before hurrying out the door, disappearing around the corner while Django stood. He turned to Erik, who seemed to have recovered enough to stand on his own. They stared at each other, silently, before Django spoke.

"I'm going to start dinner. Clean up and we'll talk afterwards."

**Author's Note:**

> Tata is the Romani word for father/dad :)! Anything said by the characters in italics means it's in Romani.


End file.
